Culture 2 Review - Last Stop on Market Street

 

Bibliographic Information

de la Peña, M. 2015. LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Ill. by Christian Robinson. New York City, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399257742

Plot Summary

On Sundays, CJ and his nana ride the bus across town to their stop on Market Street. But today, CJ’s not happy about it. Today, he’s wondering out loud why they have to wait in the rain and why they don’t have a car like his other friends. But it’s Nana who opens young CJ’s eyes and shows him the real beauty in the world around them—the spirit of the bustling city, the music in everyday life, and the magic of their often overlooked neighbors.

Critical Analysis

If you asked me what one of my favorite picture books I’ve read was about, I would have to tell you it was a book about a bus ride. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña really is as simple as that, and yet it is so much more. It is a story about observation, perspective, and finding beauty in the simple things. The pages tell the story about a young boy, CJ, and his grandmother walking to the bus stop, riding the bus until its last stop, and then getting off. The action sounds overly simple and boring (even though the illustrations are anything but!), but it is the conversations had and the people met that are the most memorable. CJ presents himself as a little selfish and discontented, wanting things that he doesn’t have. 

His Nana, one of my favorite characters in a book ever, has a quick-witted, but compassionate, response to every one of his questions or gripes. Nana is a character who feels familiar and easily beloved. She is friendly, accepting, grandmotherly, and incredibly wise. As they ride the bus, CJ interacts with people of different ages, races, physical abilities, and appearances. The book normalizes diversity and shows that value and dignity exist in all people, not just those in traditional positions of power or wealth. When CJ and Nana exit the bus, they enter a neighborhood that CJ describes as dirty. Then Nana says one of my favorite quotes I have ever read in a picture book. “Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ, you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.” 

My heart swells with her words, and CJ’s does too, as his thoughts about the area and their outing change. He is glad they came. And so is his nana. The illustrations in this book are simple yet beautiful. Christian Robinson created them using “acrylic paint, collage, and a little bit of digital manipulation”. I stared at the illustrations, wondering that they are mere shapes and yet merge into so much beauty. Each element in the story helps shift CJ’s perspective and teaches young readers that beauty and joy exist everywhere, especially when we look for them with empathy and wonder.

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*#1 New York Times Bestseller

*A USA Today Bestseller

*Winner of the Newbery Medal

*A Caldecott Honor Book

*A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

*A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Century

* “This celebration of cross-generational bonding is a textual and artistic tour de force.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “Like still waters, de la Peña and Robinson’s story runs deep. It finds beauty in unexpected places, explores the difference between what’s fleeting and what lasts, acknowledges inequality, and testifies to the love shared by an African-American boy and his grandmother.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “De la Peña and Robinson here are carrying on for Ezra Jack Keats in spirit and visual style. This quietly remarkable book will likely inspire questions . . . It will also have some adult readers reaching for a tissue.” —The Horn Book, starred review

* “With the precision of a poet, Matt de la Peña chronicles a boy's heartwarming Sunday morning routine with his nana. Christian Robinson's uplifting palette and culturally diverse cast brightens the rainy-day backdrop.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

Connections

*The story is filled with many “active” verbs that help to build a great picture of what is happening in the book. Jot down each verb on a small index card. Have the students take turns acting out the verbs while the rest of the class tries to guess which one they are trying to depict.

*Have the students compare and contrast their neighborhood with CJ’s. How is living in a big city different than living in a small town or the country?

*Talk with the students about the illustrator Christian Robinson. He uses a combination of acrylic paint and collage in his work. Explain that collage is an art process in which an artist attaches pieces of different materials (paper, cloth, wood, etc) to a flat surface. Bring in a variety of materials (construction paper, newspaper, tissue paper, wallpaper, etc) and have the students create a collage.